A crafts group in a West Tamworth retirement community is preparing a special crochet bouquet to commemorate Anzac Day 2024. Video by Jonathan Hawes
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00:00 As Anzac Day approaches, a local crafts group in West Tamworth's Easy Living Retirement Villas is preparing to commemorate the day in a unique way, with crochet.
00:11 A few of the residents are returned soldiers or their wives are in here, so everyone's taking it on board, even though a lot of people that are not in the craft group are doing it in their own home.
00:29 Trish says undertaking craft projects like assembling the poppies for Anzac Day is a great way to keep members of the crafts group social and engaged.
00:38 The group also makes items to sell to raise money for children's charities.
00:43 One lady in particular is, well there's two, have donated their crosses, the husband's white cross.
00:51 We're going to display them underneath the flagpole.
00:56 The craft group wants the poppies to serve as a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made to keep Australia safe.
01:03 As the group's history buff Jill Gay can tell you from her research into the first-hand diaries of a World War II veteran.
01:10 I'm doing family history for a young fellow that was a friend of my son's, and it was his grandfather's brother.
01:18 When he came back he had poems he'd written, he had a book of every single soldier that had died, he had recipes, he had everything.
01:33 He also wrote a, which I think is very sad, the day he had to stand and watch two of his mates being beheaded by the Japanese.
01:45 It's sad to read, so he should be very, very proud.
01:52 It's just amazing to read his story, it just takes your hat off to him.
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